A study at Kingston University in the UK has found that reading can actually make you kinder.

Research student Rose Turner has completed a study into the effects of reading and watching television on social behaviour and has discovered that lovers of the printed word have the edge over their TV-watching counterparts.

They're nicer people.

Rose Turner, a PhD student at Kingston, conducted an anonymous online survey between people who prefer to watch television and those who prefer to read to determine the effects of reading over television viewing on social behaviour. The result? Readers have more empathy for other people’s feelings and are friendlier than the TV-watchers.

Her findings have resulted in more than this interesting outcome, after presenting her research to The British Psychological Society, Rose has found herself at the centre of global media attention, adding to the widespread interest in how much more effective the printed word is.

She explains this correlation between reading and emotional development as due to the character the printed word possesses to cause people to think for themselves rather than having all the information handed to them. This contributes to the development of the reader’s emotional intelligence, especially when reading stories and identifying with someone other than themselves.

We all love a good story. Think about creative ways you can tell yours in print.

Print appeals to a person’s intelligence in a way that screens can’t.

Rose’s PhD supervisor, Professor Frédéric Vallée-Tourangeau from the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, sums it up by saying, "When the science of psychology helps ordinary people beyond the scientific community better understand their lives, the contributions are that much more important," he emphasised.

That’s Glide Print, out there helping society by giving them print to read!

We can help you engage with your customers in more effective ways. Pause before you hit the Send button on your next mass email and see how we can help tell your story better than everyone else.